I know it was a long time ago now but in some respects it is nice to get back to normality as my eating and drinking habits over Christmas & New Year have been very bad, far too much food and drink which has played havoc with my BG levels so I need to pull my finger out and get back on track :-)

As you may or may not already be aware I have had numerous problems with my eyes and ensure I have regular eye checks to make sure nothing is missed, for my Diabetes Care I attend the Western Eye Hospital in London where I go each year – this is my last blog Western Eye Clinic.

I have also been to Specsavers for the past 5 years to basically check my vision where as the Western Eye Clinic is looking at issues with my eye health and any related Diabetes damage like Retinopathy etc. The reason I chose Specsavers is that the service I have received from Maidenhead Store has been superb and they give a great range of tests not just interested in selling you a new pair of glasses.

So I received my yearly reminder in the post and called to book my appointment at Maidenhead which as always is very easy and at a time to suit me. My appointment was on Saturday 3rd January and I was luck enough to be seen by the Branch Manager Lisa which at the time I was unaware of. Lisa went through the eye checks with me “s last pair of glasses to get an idea of how much her eyes have changed since her last eye test”, I also had a Visual Fields Test due to the amount of Laser I have had done previously for the treatment of Retinopathy – this basically involves resting your chin on the edge of a large round ball which the lights up small lights inside at different positions, you then push a button to tell the computer when you have seen each light. All these test went very well in my eyes “Sorry excuse the pun”

I was then taken in to see a very nice Optometrist called Helen who spoke to me first about my lifestyle and Medical history, Helen then went through various checks as follows and these details were taken from the Specsavers web site which is very helpful :

1. The Retinoscope

The optometrist may use an instrument called a retinoscope, which bounces a light beam off the back of your eye and back into the instrument. Different lenses focus the reflected light beam until it is steady, giving a close guide to the prescription you need.

The retinoscope is very accurate – it is used to test the sight of very small children, or people with communication difficulties who can’t easily describe how clearly they can see.

2. The test chart

The optometrist fine-tunes his findings by asking you to read the test chart through different strength lenses. The results for one eye often vary from those for the other, so each eye will be tested individually before both eyes are finally tested together.

The optometrist flips different lenses in front of your eyes that change how clearly you can see. Depending on your answers, the optometrist changes the lenses until you have the clearest, most comfortable vision possible.

3. Using the ophthalmoscope

The optometrist uses an ophthalmoscope to examine the retina at the back of the eye, including the blood vessels and the front of the optic nerve. This important test can detect changes which can indicate diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

The optometrist darkens the room and sits quite close to you, while they shine a bright light into each eye in turn using the ophthalmoscope. The light may leave shadows on your vision, but these soon fade.

4. The oxo box

You are also asked to focus on an oxo box, and say whether the illuminated lines are in line horizontally and vertically.

This indicates whether your eyes work well together – balanced and co-ordinated eyes are essential for clear comfortable vision.

5. Testing your focus

The optometrist may test your ability to focus at varying distances to decide if you need different prescriptions for distance and reading.

After this I sat down with Helen to go through her findings which for me was all okay, the only issue I have is sitting in front of a laptop all-day and having to strain to see the words clearly, we decided pair of specific VDU glasses could help. We then looked at the digital images of the backs of my eyes which are incredible to see as I could see all the scarring from the laser treatment I have had going back about 7 or 8 years – all this laser also affects my night vision massively but nothing I can do about this.

Finally, I was then introduced to Jamil who showed my lots of different frames some good and some not so good unless you are someone like Will I Am, we decided on two pairs of frames one for VDU work and one pair for normal day to day wear. I collected my glasses 1 week later and I was extremly pleased with the quality/price and service so I would highly recommend giving them a try.

Apologies it has been a while since my last update on MyPump Diabetes Site but busy with the family etc J

So my sailing at Cookham Reach Sailing Club is still going really well and I managed to take out a Lightning Dinghy last Saturday on my own for the first time, I just about managed to stay upright largely down to the assistance of Alistair in the safety boat – all in all I had a great time. The biggest thing I have noticed is the amount of carbs I need prior to 1 hour sailing as I must be honest I didn’t really think I would use that much energy, I tend to have an energy bar and banana prior to sailing and that is usually all burnt up.

** New members always welcome and surprisingly membership is not as much as you think.

I have been using the Dario BG Meter for a couple of months now and just recently gone onto the Dario for Android/IOS so can now use it on multiple devices like an iPad and Samsung Galaxy – all of which sync easily. I especially like the food diary which amazingly seems to have pretty much most of the food I eat but it would be good to have some images/sizes similar to Carbs & Cals. If you have not yet tried the Dario BG Meter then it is certainly worth a go as it is so compact and just fits in your pocket, the strips are held in a tiny container within the meter and you also have a built in finger pricker.

Sadly I have not tried this device for myself but I do hope to so I can write a hands on Blog review.

So if you have not yet heard about the Abbott Freestyle Libre then you will be in for a surprise as it really does look amazing and the technology behind this BG Meter is incredible, this is the type of device I dreamed of when I was young as it is a cross between a standard BG meter and a CGM. As I understand the Abbott Freestyle Libre is due for release very soon and works by using a small sensor placed on the body which you can then place the meter close to the sensor to take a BG reading, this also works through clothes so means you can test as many times a day as you like – no finger prick required, you also don’t need to calibrate with a finger prick. The software also looks incredible and I like the fact that this device can give you an indication of whether your BG levels is dropping or increasing – this is a big problem for me as I tend to go to bed on 7.0 but it’s so difficult to know if it will drop and many times it does.

The other big plus is that the sensors last for 14 days before they need to be replaced.

So next question – how much ?

I have not seen any official prices from Abbott but looking on Google rumours it sounds as though the meter could be approx. £150 and sensors priced at approx. £50 each (They do last 14 days each though), however please bear in mind these are not official figures and only rumours – not sure if we can get any NHS funding.

So since starting up sailing I have increasingly been getting my shoes wet and I do prefer to wear shoes barefoot nr the river as I am in and out of sailing boats and end up taking off and on my sailing boots.

We went on holiday to Somerset a few months ago and on the beach with the children and a young surfer walked past with some very funky/comfy looking shoes, there is a huge range to choose from and they are more of a summer shoe than a winter shoe as mainly canvas – hoverer they can be machined washed. The Hey Dude Shoes have a leather type anti-bacterial insert which I can say makes them feel as though you are wearing slippers but with a nice thick sole to give them added comfort.

So if you are looking for a comfy shoe that gives great comfort and support to your feet then give them a try, my wife has also bought a pair so they must be good J.

I can’t believe January has already flown past as it only seems like yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas.

January has certainly been a wet month with terrible floods all over the country including local flooding in my village which of course causes lots of people problems with travel, I just feel for the people who have really been affected by floods in their homes which must be awful.

Cycling during January has certainly been damp, windy and really affected my BG levels even though I have been trying some specific cycle energy boost drinks and gels that have helped. The worst thing for me is when my BG level drops during the night even after dinner, one evening I was 10.0 before bed and then woke during the night to a hypo of 1.9 which I must say was very scary indeed – this was the closest I have had to needing an ambulance. I have now started to have a couple of biscuits just before bed to be on the safe side and a CGM would certainly help but too expensive for me to fund.

On the subject of CGM – we have been advised of the New generation of Medtronic Enlite Sensor which certainly looks great.

I am sure you are all as curious as I am to see what other Diabetes products will be released in 2014 to make our Diabetes even easier to control.

This week has been full of fun as my children are growing fast and becoming real little monkeys 😃.

During the week I am of course at work and I do look forward to the weekends which go so quickly, the children certainly test my patience and my BG levels tend to run low especially with all the running around with the kids. We had the family over last Sunday for lunch which was really great and we all had a great day especially the children who did plenty of painting and running around.

Have any of you seen or used the iCare Advanced BG Meter whic I seem to keep coming across – I have one to try so will keep you posted.

As you may have already read in my previous Blog I commute by cycle to work which is not great in the wet but does keep me fit, I have been having a fair few low BG’s recently when I return home so find myself dipping into my stash of Haribo’s which I know are not ideal but do taste yummy. I have now tried eating a banana before I leave work and this has certainly helped but is there anything else that I could eat or even drink which would work as well ? My cycle is only 20 minutes so not that long and I was considering some of the specialist energy drinks supplied by cycle companies but have never tried them ?

Last night I cycled home after eating a banana and tested my BG level which was 7.0 so I had a couple of Jaffa cakes to last me until dinner which was all fine, I tested again before bed with a BG of 10.0 so good so far but then woke at 4.00am with a BG of 2.9 – all very confusing and quite scary ?

My lowest BG level this week was 2.3 during the night which was a little scary but luckily for me I always wake, the other downside is when I wake in the morning to a BG level of 14.0

I would love to hear of any Diabetes stories you may have to share and I would be more than happy to post on my site ?

This year I am going to try and creat a regular blog on whats been going on during the week with regards to my Diabetes, Highs & Lows, exercise and if I have discovered any new interesting Diabetes products.

If would also be a great help to both myself and all our fellow Diabetes friends if you could please let me know of any new products or even if you have your own blog which you would like me to share ?

This week has been extremely wet as we have like many others had bad floods especially in our village, as some of you may already know that I cycle to and from work which is only about 4 miles but not great in the wet or dark, I have super powerful front lights due to my poor night vision which certainly help as without them I would have big problems.

I have been working hard this week and of course cycling which has been playing havoc with my BG levels as it could be 10.0 before I leave work but then drops to 4.0 before I get home, so any suggestions on what I could easily snack on before leaving work – my commute is only 4 miles. I have a very heavy mountain style bike so it’s very heavy so off to the cycle shop today to see what else is available providing Marlow isn’t still flooded.

I have also had quite a few lows during the night and been waking up in a panic when my BG has been 3.0 which is really quite scary as you know, Haribo’s are always close by though :-).